The solution for our addiction to vacant speech is not really that complicated. Because our words have become too hollow, we need to consciously make them more Meaning-full … And because our words have become far too numerous, we simply need to consciously make them more scarce.

As you go about finding your own unique way of doing so, you may want to consider the following general guidelines …

TIP #01 … When you speak, choose to SPEAK POSITIVELY

*Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing “harmless gossip”. Every negative word you utter about another person behind their back keeps you from remembering the Truth that those people are Good & Beautiful – that it is not their failings you are identifying when you judge them, but rather your own. Just as importantly, every negative word you utter about another person behind their back keeps you from remembering the Truth that you are Good & Beautiful as well.

So the next time you catch yourself gossiping, simply pause and choose to openly appreciate something Good about the object of your scorn instead. And the next time you overhear someone else gossiping about another, have the Courage to openly-yet-gently defend those “victims’ as well.

“Everybody’s talking trash these days, so why not reach out to care?” ~ inspired by Dennis Rodman

*Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as “constructive criticism”. Every time you attempt to “correct” or “enlighten” another person, all you are really doing is projecting your beliefs about your own shortcomings onto them. Even more disturbing, because the human psyche perceives such “good advice” as an attack, such “wisdom” is much more likely than not to fall on “deaf ears” anyway.

So the next time you catch yourself criticizing another person or another person’s decisions or another person’s beliefs in any way, simply pause and choose to extend a word of encouragement instead. It is not necessary to agree with how those folks are being or what they are doing or what they happen to believe. It is enough to just reach out to the with a Kind word of support for them as fellow Human beings. Every one of us is on our own unique Path through this amazing life – we all must make our own decisions and we all must choose our own way. It might be comforting to focus more on another’s “wrongness” than t look in the mirror at our own shortcomings, and yet when it comes to analyzing the Path of Life taken, in the mirror is the only place we are to gaze.

“Instruction does some, but encouragement does everything.” ~ W. Goethe

*Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a “bad day”. “Tragedy”, “crisis” and even “bad weather” are all delusions of the ego – the ego that wants us to judge the Here&Now as “broken” (or otherwise insufficient) in order lead us back to striving to ensure a safer and/or more pleasurable future for ourselves. Of course, the Reality of the present moment is quite different. No matter how we might be tempted to label it otherwise, every moment of our lives is literally filled with brilliant wonders, gracious blessings & priceless lessons. And yet it is up to us to choose to see and then revel in the same …

So the next time you catch yourself complaining about anything in your life – expressing either your desire for something that you do not yet possess, your sadness over something painful that you are already experiencing, or your worry over a fear that might come to you in the future – simply pause and choose to utter a word or two of gratitude instead. The pains of our past are our most priceless lessons – they show us the way we need no longer tread. The pains of our present are priceless opportunities to transcend our fear and Love others powerfully. And the fears for the future are nothing more than a Summons from the Divine to set forth with courage to live Meaning-fully anyway.

“We can only be said to be truly alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of the treasures already in our possession.” ~ inspired by Thornton Wilder

TIP #02 … When tempted to speak idly, choose to SPEAK SILENTLY

Essentially, this tip can be summed up with one all-important word: LISTEN!

*When you are tempted to analyze and/or judge your surroundings, pause and See their innate Beauty instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted to wander mentally into the realms of daydream or worry, pause and notice your current blessings instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted to “entertain” others with words that are loud or silly or base, pause and know a deep Reverence instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted to explain or justify your actions to a critic, pause and beam them Compassion instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted by “New Age gurus” or “religious leaders” to “go within” and “find your true self”, pause and remember your perfect Connection to the moment instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted to persuade or encourage others to change, pause and send them Love instead … Listen!

*When you are tempted to argue or debate or discuss an issue, pause and accept that you still have much to learn… Listen!

*When you are tempted to ignore or disengage or abandon someone who is vacantly babbling to you, pause and choose to Care instead … LISTEN!

“You can talk with someone for years, everyday, and still, it won’t mean as much as what you can have when you sit in front of someone, not saying a word, feeling that person with your heart … Real connections are made with the heart, not the tongue.” ~ C. Joy Bell

TIP #03 … When tempted to speak idly, choose instead to SERVE SELFLESSLY

Finally, the most important tip of all – the choice that always bears the best of “Fruit”: setting aside our desire to talk in favor of reaching out with acts of simple Kindness.

Feel the urge to “babble” (for whatever reason), recognize that this urge comes from a reasonable fear of your ego, thank your ego for trying to protect you, reassure it that you are not going to stop talking forever – just for a little while; that you are not going to be “radically Kind” for the rest of your life, just for that one moment … and then simply go forth and do something Caring for another person.

You simply set aside your addiction for that one instant in order to go forth and Become the very change you so wish to See.

“Our chief challenge is that we are more given to talking about doings things more than actually doing them.” ~ inspired by J. Nehru

“Talking isn’t doing. It is a form of good deed to say well of another; and yet words are not deeds.” ~ William Shakespeare